Paying market, On Spec Magazine, pays C$50-$200 for fiction

We do not buy work that has appeared in print or on the Internet.

On Spec now will accept EITHER a mailed submission or an emailed submission for SHORT STORIES ONLY. Poetry remains accepted ONLY by mail. For submitting artwork, please send a link to your website or mail us examples (including a CD or USB key).

Want to know what On Spec editors are looking for? Try a "Taste of On Spec: Spring 2009", available free online for a limited time!

Here's a story by author Tom L. Waters about his experience trying to find International Reply Coupons (IRC). This is an experience we've heard from many writers.

IRC Story

Note: An alternative to IRCs is to include $1 US, which covers return postage for US and interntional subsmissions, and is less expensive than an IRC. For responses to writers, we can ONLY use Canadian stamps (NOT US or other).

Email

The best way to contact us regarding order requests, subscriptions, change of address, advertising opportunities, and general inquiries is to email us.

Fiction

The ON SPEC editors are looking for original, unpublished speculative fiction (SF) and poetry -- fantasy, horror, ghost stories, fairy stories, magic realism, etc. Our mandate is to give our readers the best SF we can find, regardless of the author's nationality, and we have published authors from Canada, the U.S., Britain, New Zealand, South America, and more. In order to qualify for grants, we do have to maintain 80% Canadian content, which means it may take longer (an issue or two) for a non-Canadian work to appear in the magazine than a Canadian work bought at the same time. Send your short stories (max. 6000 words), short short stories (under 1000 words) or poetry (max. 100 lines) to the address above. Please note: we no longer require submissions in competition format.

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction is commissioned only. We are not looking for nonfiction articles, reviews, etc. at this time.

Payment

ON SPEC buys first North American serial (magazine) rights to your work. We pay upon acceptance. Minimum payment for fiction is $50 and maximum payment is $200.

Pay rates are as follows and in Canadian dollars:

* Poems (4-100 lines): $50 plus one contributor's copy
* Short-short stories (under 1000 words): $50, plus one contributor's copy
* Fiction (6000 words max.)
* 1000-2999 words: $125 plus 2 contributor's copies plus a One year subscription
* 3000-4999 words: $175 plus 2 contributor's copies plus a One year subscription
* 5000-6000 words: $200 plus 2 contributor's copies plus a One year subscription

More information here.